The foundation of the Internet is technology, but technology (unlike media) is in a constant state of evolution and innovation. It’s hard to imagine that the iPhone is only five years old and that three years ago, there was no iPad. By the same token, it’s equally hard to imagine that companies such as Research in Motion, Kodak and Nokia are struggling to find relevance with consumers as startups such as Instagram, Pinterest and Fab capture customers’ attention.

In the past few weeks, Microsoft and Google have come forward with tablets in an attempt to dethrone the iPad. Last month, eMarketer reported that the number of tablet users in the United States is expected to increase by more than 106 per cent this year, to a total of 69.6 million tablets. And to understand the iPad’s dominance, eMarketer says it will represent more than three-quarters of all those tablets, 53.2 million. In March, when Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage to announce the new iPad, the biggest shock was that in the previous year, iPad 2 had outsold every single PC manufactured – beating HP, Dell, Lenovo and Acer. Now, with the latest iPad sporting retina display (offering resolution that is superior to print), blazing computational speed and mobile connectivity for LTE and 4G networks, it seems like no other tablet manufacturers would even come close. So, how did Google and Microsoft fare with their announcements?

Unfortunately, Google and Microsoft sounded eerily similar to DEVCON 2010 when RIM (maker of BlackBerry) announced the launch of its tablet device, the PlayBook. At the time, Apple’s first generation iPad was in-market and the PlayBook not only felt like a “me too” product, but it lacked any additional sizzle to lure potential iPad buyers away. Beyond the ability to play Flash (something Apple and non-Apple users have been critical of), the technical specifications of the PlayBook were either comparable or less than that of the iPad. Flexing the Apple muscle ever more, the company was able to launch iPad 2 before PlayBook ever hit the retail shelves, making it seem more antiquated than it already was. The sales – and RIM’s current business woes – are well documented. RIM didn’t let its competitors seem cooler to consumers. Apple was head-down in product innovation while RIM seemed busy trying to figure out what (and how) their competitors were doing what they do. Microsoft’s Surface is said to be coming soon as is Google’s tablet, Nexus 7. While Surface more closely resembled the iPad and Nexus 7 feels more like a competitor to the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, both devices will be launched into market lacking a crucial component: mobile connectivity.

While you can buy an iPad with Wi-Fi connectivity and mobile connectivity (which requires a mobile data plan), the truth is that what makes tablets so powerful and attractive to consumers is the fundamental mobility of the device and the connectivity that it offers. The true challenge for tablets will not be about which brand wins the war by selling the largest amounts of touchable glass devices. The winners will be the ones who give consumers a fast and connected experience that has a minimal amount of friction. This is where the battle must be fought. Mobile carriers need to step up and help the evolution of computing. While these carriers may argue that they are an integral part of the tablet’s growth and future, the average consumer finds data plans expensive and confusing. Have you ever travelled out of country and required international roaming? On a recent experience, this required me to deal with voice, text messaging and mobile data separately for my one iPhone. Three unique interactions (all of them with confusing pricing and data models) to have my smartphone stay connected in another country. Ridiculous.

We should no longer compare Internet usage to that of other media channels. The true opportunity (and our future) is in benchmarking Internet connectivity to electricity and access to clean water. Let’s not allow the Internet to be solely relegated to a new media channel, but let’s look at it with the same optics as other utilities. We need better ways to hold our mobile carriers to higher standards by ensuring that mobile connectivity is cheaper and more widely available to all citizens. In looking forward to Microsoft’s Surface and Google’s Nexus 7, we should never get too excited about any device (no matter how cool or inexpensive it is) if its only form of true connectivity happens when you’re in and around a Wi-Fi signal. The future of tablets (and all technology) is mobility. It’s about being connected (with stable and fast speeds) with a pricing structure that isn’t prohibitive to the masses. Technology is going to be a lot more interesting when the mass majority have access to it in the same way that they have access to electricity. At that moment in time, we’re going to see even more disruption and innovation. It’s something that every business should be actively looking forward to.

Mitch Joel is president of Twist Image and the author of the best-selling business book Six Pixels of Separation. His next book, CTRL ALT DEL – Reboot Your Business (and Yourself) in a Connected World, will be published next spring.

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New Business: Six Pixels of Separation: Best connected will be best tablet

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